Absorbent articles, such as conventional taped diapers, pull-on diapers, training pants, incontinence briefs, sanitary napkins, and the like, offer the benefit of receiving and containing urine and/or other bodily exudates. Absorbent articles may be reusable. That is, the articles may be intended to be laundered or otherwise restored for multiple uses. In some instances, portions of an absorbent article may be reusable and other portions may be disposable. For example, an absorbent article may comprise a reusable outer cover and a disposable insert which is discarded after soiling.
Ideally, an absorbent article should maintain skin condition and provide sizing for a range of wearer shapes and sizes, ease of application, conforming fit, and sustained fit. Achieving combinations of these characteristics has been difficult in reusable absorbent articles. While progress has been made in providing breathable, stretchable disposable absorbent articles, many of the materials and methods used to manufacture disposable absorbent articles are ill-suited for adaptation to reusable absorbent articles. For example, breathability may reduce over-hydration and associated “diaper rash” and erythema commonly associated with regular use of an absorbent article. In disposable absorbent articles, good breathability can be achieved using microporous films or films which are apertured over small areas to permit water vapor transmission across the films, without concurrent passage of liquids, such as urine. However, microporous films do not provide the stretch required for sizing, ease of application, conforming fit, and sustained fit in a reusable outer cover for an absorbent article. Similarly, the extension of aperturing to large areas of the outer cover may lead to increased leakage of liquids, such as urine, or the liquid components of other exudates such as feces and menses.
In light of the difficulty in balancing the competing, desirable attributes in a reusable outer cover for an absorbent article, many reusable outer covers perform only basic functions, such as exudate containment. For example, a reusable outer cover for an absorbent article may use a relatively thick polymeric film to reduce leakage, at the expense of sizing, fit, and breathability.
There remains a need for a reusable outer cover for an absorbent article which provides acceptable performance in more than one aspect maintaining skin condition and providing sizing for a range of wearer shapes and sizes, ease of application, conforming fit, and sustained fit.